


The Meaning of Candlenights

by itmightbehere



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Candlenights, Christmas, Gen, Starblaster Shenanigans, secretsantataz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-24 06:00:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13207467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itmightbehere/pseuds/itmightbehere
Summary: Celebrating Candlenights aboard the Starblaster isn't easy.





	The Meaning of Candlenights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blueshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueshine/gifts).



> I'm so sorry this is late. My dad passed away on the 23rd, and it's been busy busy busy since then.
> 
> HUGE thanks to [kostrach](https://kostrach.tumblr.com) for being patient with me and for believing in me when they were told I would be late.
> 
> Even HUGER thanks to [kravalicious](http://kravalicious.tumblr.com) for putting this together and for offering a shoulder to a grieving stranger.
> 
> I hope you enjoy this!

For the Starblaster Crew, celebrating Candlenights had been a low priority since they’d first left their home. During most cycles, the search for the Light was too physically or emotionally demanding to leave time for celebrations. When members of the crew died before the year was over, it was sometimes all those left behind could do to finish out the year at alll. Those cycles were melancholy and dark.

Even when all went well with the search, it was hard to track when Candlenights should be as the stars on every world were so different. Besides, they hadn’t packed any Candlenights decorations, and giving gifts was difficult when resources and space were limited. 

There came a year around the 40th cycle, however, when everything lined up for the first time. The constellations were close enough to those they remembered that Davenport could map approximately when Candlenights should be. Everyone was alive, and they had found the Light early in the cycle, so the crew was relaxed and happy. 

While they didn’t have any prepared decorations, one of the trees in this world produced a sap that burned with varicolored flame, perfect for a Candlenights candelabra. The people of the world were advanced enough to produce valuable goods and were excited to trade with such strange visitors, meaning gifts were easy to come by.

For months, all anyone could talk about was the upcoming holiday. Excited chatter went back and forth on who was going to get what and how best to decorate the ship.

Lucretia and Davenport had found gifts for everyone long before Candlenights; their gifts were sure to be practical and well made. Magnus worked up until days before hand making meaningful gifts for all his friends. Merle had waited until the last week before throwing together something for everyone. Little thought had gone into the gifts, but at least he had something. Barry traded with the townsfolk for a feast’s worth of food, and he and Lup spent a good deal of time together preparing everything.

But Taako hadn’t gotten anything, though he’d bragged for weeks about the quality of the gifts he’d be giving. He spent all his time relaxing and figured he would have time to find something later. Later had come, though, and by Candlenights Eve he still didn’t have anything. Every attempt he made that day to sneak away to the nearby town was thwarted by one person or another needing his help for last minute preparations. This was only to be expected since he was clearly the most accomplished and powerful wizard on the ship, but it did mean that by the time evening rolled around he was frantic to find anything he could use as a gift. 

As Lup and Barry brought out the feast they’d spent the entire day preparing, his mind whirred with ideas thought up and discarded just as quickly. He’d finally settled on trying to convince everyone that he’d gotten them the silverware they were using when Davenport cleared his throat.

He beamed at the gathered crew. “This all looks wonderful. It’s clearly going to be the best meal we’ve had since leaving home - especially the pudding you spent so long getting just right,” he said with a nod to Lup. She’d been feeding the thing a locally-made alcohol for weeks. “But before we dig in, let’s pass out our gifts! We can draw to see gets to go first.”

He’d clearly planned this, pulling a handful of twigs out of his robes. Taako sighed when he pulled the shortest straw before standing up empty-handed. He cleared his throat, then clapped his hands together, unable to think of anything to say.

“Hey,” Magnus exclaimed, looking around Taako. “You didn’t bring anything!” Behind him sat a giant box filled with carefully but amateurly crafted gifts. 

“Yeah, where’s my gift?” Merle said, hand on a lumpy sack in front of him.

“Well,” Taako started, “You see… I-I didn’t get you anything.”

There was silence across the table, so quiet you could hear the wind beating the solar sails above.

Lup glared at him from behind a well-roasted bird she’d spent most of the day preparing. “What do you mean you didn’t get us anything?” 

“I’m sure he has a reason for not having gotten us anything.” Lucretia said to the grumbling crew.

“Yes,” Taako said slowly, a thought forming in his clever brain. “I do. I saw how driven you all were by the commercialism of this world, all its shiny baubles and expensive clothing, and felt I needed to teach you a lesson in what is most important - me.”

Another beat of silence went by, then the whole table burst into laughter. Lucretia nodded in approval. “You’re right. We got so wrapped up in physical things that we forgot the real gift is all of us being together and safe.”

Murmurs of agreement spread through the crew, but Lup grinned impishly at her brother from across the table. He could never pull anything over on her; she clearly knew he’d forgotten to buy anything. 

She stood and grabbed him around the neck. “Happy Candlenights, you big softie.”

“And a Happy Candlenights to you all.” Taako said serenely once he’d freed himself. “But seriously, where are my gifts?”


End file.
